Contact: Troy Newman, President, 316-841-1700; Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Policy Advisor, 316-516-3034; both with Operation Rescue, info@operationrescue.org
WICHITA, Kansas, Jan. 29 /Christian Newswire/ -- Attorneys for abortionist George R. Tiller filed motions with Judge Paul Buchanan to quash two subpoenas issued by a grand jury asking for nearly 2,000 late-term abortion records. The subpoenas allow for the redaction of the patients' names and other identifying information, making the privacy of the women a non-issue.
"Tiller's effort to deny the grand jury necessary evidence in a criminal investigation is a last desperate act of a man who is destined to go to jail," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "Tiller expects the court to help him hide incriminating evidence from people who have the legal ability to indict him. This judge has already rejected a similar motion to deny other subpoenas issued by the grand jury. We are praying, for the sake of truth and justice, that this ploy is denied as well."
The subpoenas were issued on January 22, just one week after Newman testified before the grand jury and presented over 200 pages of evidence gathered by Operation Rescue researchers, including photographs of women entering Tiller's abortion clinic in the obvious latest stages of pregnancy.
The grand jury has asked that Tiller produce two kinds of records by February 1, including all records of abortions done after 21 weeks gestation between July 1, 2003, and January 18, 2007.
The grand jury also wants to see records in the same time frame of all women whose pregnancies were 22 weeks or more where the woman did not have an abortion "because there was not a determination that a continuation of the patient's pregnancy would cause a substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function by two physicians who were not legally and financially affiliated."
Kansas law prohibits abortions after 21 week except to save the mother's life or if the continuation of the pregnancy will result in a "substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function" of the woman. Each abortion must be approved by the two physicians not legally or financially affiliated with the abortionist. There has never been a reported abortion in Kansas to save the life of the mother.
Tiller already faces 19 criminal charges of illegal late-term abortions for allowing abortions in 2003, using the second signature of abortionist Ann Kristin Neuhaus, who had apparent legal and financial ties to Tiller.
Read the subpoenas
About Operation Rescue
Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation. Operation Rescue recently made headlines when it bought and closed an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas and has become the voice of the pro-life activist movement in America. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to restore legal personhood to the pre-born and stop abortion in obedience to biblical mandates.
